Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta You see your beloved across a crowded room, and your heart beats faster with desire. Where others see a simple painting, you see true love. You are determined to make it yours. There are those who question why some people will spend hundreds of millions or even billions of rupiah on a simple painting, especially during a financial downturn. But as art lovers across the ages have proved, paintings offer not just pleasure, but also a promising investment. “It’s true that the crisis has held back some people from buying paintings, but on the other hand, new collectors see it as the best time to start buying, because prices [of paintings] now are at a quite attractive or realistic level,” says Amir Sidharta, an art curator and owner of Sidharta Auctioneer. Around six months ago, Amir says, those who wanted to start collecting paintings thought twice because a boom in the art market had put prices at their peak. But since the financial markets tumbled, he says, so have prices, giving potential collectors a chance to take another look.Oei Hong Djien, an art collector who sits on the Singapore Art Museum’s board of directors, agrees. If the situation mirrors that of the 1998 financial crisis, he says, the art market is likely to experience a boom this year.During the 1998 crisis, Oei reveals many people looked for the most convenient and promising ways to invest their money – including purchasing paintings.“[At that time] they heard that paintings that were cheap would become expensive, so they were interested [in investing],” Oei says. “Then that was it. The art market suddenly turned crowded in the middle of this economic crisis. It was weird.”

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/18/2010 8:54 AM | Feature Buried in the plain and white Panji mask are layers of colorful stories, wisdom and treasured beauty. A symbol of purity, the traditional mask from West Java represents the earliest phase in human life, where the newborn possesses noble traits of character connecting him or her to the Divine Spirit. “To understand the soul of the Panji mask is to look at it and ‘read’ it using our inner side,” says mask maker Galis Agus Sunardi of the mask at the heart of Cirebon and Indramayu traditional dances. “The Panji mask carries a plethora of rich messages. Its half-closed eyes, for instance, allude to the Javanese tradition of avoiding direct eye contact with the elderly to show them respect.”Panji is only one of countless traditional masks rich in inspiring stories. But over the years, these masks have been forgotten, as a result of their absence from many cultural events and school textbooks. “Traditional masks aren’t popular among Indonesians because they haven’t been exposed much to the public,” says Galis, who has been dedicated to the art of mask making — both traditional and contemporary — for more than 20 years. “The government hasn’t really made any effort to promote the mask heritage to the public.“I know some traditional mask makers [in Cirebon and Indramayu] who even changed profession because they could no longer make a living from creating masks. They became laborers — it’s heartbreaking,” he adds.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Kuala Lumpur | Wed, 07/14/2010 8:53 AM | Feature “You actually don’t want to make art as a commercial thing – because everything about art comes from the heart. But making it a tourism product, yes, you would want to do that – because it’s a positive thing.”So acknowledged famous Malaysian artist Suhaimi Fadzir of his enthusiasm in the wave of art tourism, which has just started to roll in his homeland. Positive like he said, the new and innovative tourism campaign embraced by the Malaysian government was more than just attracting tourists — it also opens the eyes of both local and international citizens to the richness of Malaysian art. “The people here are not aware of and appreciate their own local arts,” Suhaimi said. “Love of art doesn’t start from early education here. We’re introduced to art a little bit late.” Thus, Suhaimi said, such a government campaign would be the first step to bringing art to the forefront. If it means a good thing for artists like him, it may also be for the Malaysian government, who is now thriving to offer travelers with more than just lovely scenery, vibrant traditions and palate-pleasing cuisine. In the wake of art tourism, where the artistic energy of art enhances one country’s global appeal, Malaysia does not want to be left behind. While Singapore has already announced it wanted to make the country the Southeast Asia’s center for arts, Malaysia now is embracing the same desire. This desire to mold the country as a melting pot for art aficionados, gallery owners, artists and a new generation of collectors from across the globe, has now located art in the heart of Malaysia’s tourism scene. “The global traveler today is not looking for destinations but experiences,” said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister. A strong art tourism scene, he continued, would “enhance our global appeal and keep our tourism offering fresh, new and exciting”.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 07/12/2010 10:24 AM | Feature Beyond the zest for culture, one question remains, re-inviting an ideal answer: What’s the perfect way of bringing the mishmash of traditions closer to the wider society?

Cultural enthusiasts have come with a myriad of answers that have led to places and stages, as they shared their passions through events and performances. Sharmi Ranti Wiranatakusumah and her friends are no exception, providing what they expect to be the ideal answer to engage one tradition with another — under one big umbrella. Promoting the concept of “the past, present and future”, Sharmi and the Merah Putih Foundation are embracing the smörgåsbord of Indonesian traditions. Recently, they kicked off with the charming West Java’s Sundanese culture as their pilot project. Just like the name of the project — “Ngeunteung Ka Lembur” (Reflecting Our Homeland) — the audience was taken in a journey to see how the Sundanese culture has evolved from time to time, and how they would survive in the future by embracing digital technology. “There are many ways to reintroduce our arts and culture, but we seek for a strong concept that can connect them with each other so people would get deeper impression,” said Sharmi, the project’s initiator, after the event in Jakarta last week. Watching the performance was like reading a storybook, where one chapter leads to another one. The story commenced with the parade of people dressed up like rice-field effigies (orang-orangan sawah), or bebegig in Sundanese.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/26/2010 8:00 AM | Feature “I can still remember running through colorful batik cloths that were drying on the line in my backyard. I remember Mang Erus hands were stained red from dipping fabrics into dyes the whole day.”Cultural observer Wieke Dwiharti recalled that story of her childhood in Ciamis, West Java, when batik was still part of the residents’ everyday life. From around 1965 to the 1970s, people lived so close to batik that they would either be seen wearing it, or spending their days making it. “But as I grew up, I began to lose that scene — less and less people made batik,” says Wieke, whose father was a batik craftsman in Imbanegara village. “I would still see the batik stamps and all the other [batik making] equipment, but no one used them anymore.”It was in the 1980s that the Ciamis batik — part of the great Priangan (Sundanese-style) batik tradition — disappeared entirely, leaving a black mark on Indonesia’s batik history. The economic crisis of the late 1970s, Wieke said, was behind the misfortune, driving many batik makers to bankruptcy. Many batik artisans, she went on, also couldn’t resist the cost-effective temptation of shifting to the “printed batik” business, where modern machines replaced batik makers. “They shifted their business hoping they would get more money as the printed batik cloths are far cheaper than the hand-made ones,” said Wieke of the Indonesian Forum for Anthropology Studies (FKAI). “But it turned out they weren’t ready with capable human sources [to run such modern machines].”

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 06/21/2010 8:05 AM | Feature So, what is dance? Some say it’s just a few twists and turns accompanied by musical beats. Others say it’s a form of expression through movement.However, if we ask today’s dancers or choreographers, their answers tend to be much more specific — especially as they feel challenged to seek new ways of reflecting both artistic and social trends within today’s dynamic culture. Kim Jae-duk, an up-and-coming dancer and choreographer from South Korea, for example, sees dance as more than just a performance in which audiences and performers are separated by a stage. “Dance for me is about being more engaged with the audience through interaction,” said Kim Jae-duk. “We convey [our] love to the audience and hope to get the same feeling back as they react to our piece,” he added. The idea of exchanging love through dance may sound simple — but with arts being all about self-interpretation, it takes Kim more than just moving his body on stage to express himself. He makes use of a progressive approach to make the audience feel part of his performance. So what does he do? He crosses boundaries, embracing theater, live music and singing into his work.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 06/07/2010 8:52 AM | Feature Exciting developments are taking place in the world of keris or kris. The traditional dagger has been given a makeover, with kris designers letting their creative juices flow, blending the modern and traditional in an exhibition of kris at the National Gallery.Kris enthusiasts touring the exhibition are likely to do a double take when coming across the faces of both President Barack Obama and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono engraved on one of the traditional daggers. They might also frown when hearing dangdut singer Inul Daratista inspired one of the kris designer’s creations. But if anything, kris designers are making a statement: They are embracing a modern spirit reflecting the latest trends around us.The Obama fever is one of them. Just like paintings can tell a thousand stories about the US president, so can the Kanjeng Kiyai Obama Pinandito Kris. “If you look carefully, you will see the head with curly hair engraved on the lower part of the blade is actually Obama,” said renowned painter Hardi, who designed the kris. “I named it Obama Pinandito [the religious Obama] because I see him as a spiritual person.”

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 05/17/2010 8:44 AM | Feature If you think you can only find Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel or the Pendusa God in fairytales and myths, then you’re wrong. In Indonesia, you can also find them on the traditional batik cloths. Hard to imagine? Maybe.The batik cloths most of us see today are the ones made recently, when the batik fever began to catch on. But if we went back dozens of years, we would find that classic batik embraced Western influences, like the Brothers Grimm’s folktales and other myths. Not only that, other foreign influences like that of the Japanese culture can also be found, unveiling the rare beauty of Indonesian batik. These rare and exquisite batik pieces can be found in batik aficionado Tumbu Astiani Ramelan’s collection, which is now being showcased at the Textile Museum in Jakarta, in conjunction with the launch of the collector’s book — The 20th Century Batik Masterpieces. When examining the 90 batik cloths in the exhibition, we’ll not only be dazzled visually, but also get a better idea of how batik has changed over its long history and how the art form has been influenced by political situations in the country it hails from. The kompeni — with the afore mentioned Western flavors — for example, brings us back to the early 1900s when Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 08/21/2009 11:16 AM | Life“I truly don’t have the heart to cut woven fabrics,” says fashion designer Era Soekamto. “To lose even one centimeter of them makes me so disappointed.”Era’s words make it plain just how precious woven fabrics are for her. And cutting woven fabrics into pieces and sewing them together into an item of clothing is not as easy for her as when she uses modern textiles. “I know very well what it takes to make just a single piece of woven cloth: It’s such a difficult job,” says Era, whose fashionable creations have breathed new life into traditional woven textiles.“Difficult” is perhaps an understatement. Weaving one piece of cloth can take weeks or even months. It requires patience, care and genuine creativity to make this priceless legacy. “Woven cloths are made with taste,” says Tria Basuki, an expert in woven textiles. “People who dedicate their lives to these cloths weave with intuition — they aren’t like modern textile designers who need to make the patterns first before making their creations,” she adds. But the process is just one part of weaving. Embedded within those colorful threads are stories and philosophies that make woven textiles more than just pieces of cloth.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 05/07/2010 8:47 AM | Feature “Just by seeing his artworks, I really feel that he loves Indonesia and Indonesian people — and that’s why I love Ken Pattern and his works in the first place,” said self-confessed art lover, Velichka Bellamy Kasim, on the opening night of the exhibition in Jakarta.Bellamy also had good reason to be enthusiastic: The paintings are up for sale, the proceeds of which will flow to various Indonesian charities. Having spent for more than two decades in Indonesia, the Canadian artist is giving back. Over recent years, Pattern has been working with the Canadian Women’s Association (CWA) to direct the proceeds of his art to a good cause. “Pattern has developed a great love of Indonesia and the Indonesian people,” said Paula Bowers, wife of the Canadian ambassador to Indonesia, during the exhibition opening last week.Seeing hundreds of Pattern’s works — mostly lithographs — he has created since the 1980s, gives you a sense of his depth as an artist. Capturing contrasting souls in Jakarta — the black and white, the yin and yang, Pattern portrays a unique interpretation of the city, one that is imbued by a longing feeling for Jakarta’s “traditional” life.“What I love about Jakarta is that it is about two different worlds — the poor and the rich, the old and the new,” Pattern told The Jakarta Post. “Jakarta is just black and white. There’s so much contrast blended all together.”